This invention relates to a side exit catheter through which a guide wire and/or another catheter may be steered laterally of the catheter.
Catheter guide wires have been used for many years to guide catheters to desired target locations in the human bodies vasculature. Typical guide wires are from about 155 centimeters to 195 centimeters in length and are made of stainless steel, with a platinum alloy coil spring soldered or otherwise attached to the stainless steel wire at the distal end. The use of platinum for the coil spring provides radiopacity for X-ray viewing during navigation of the guide wire in the body and the coil spring reduces likelihood of puncture by the guide wire. Of course, other soft tips may be used for the leading end of the guide wire, the purpose being to reduce the likelihood of puncture of the anatomy.
Navigation through the anatomy is typically achieved by viewing the guide wire in the body using X-ray fluoroscopy. The guide wire is inserted into a vessel or duct (along with the catheter if desired) and moved therethrough until the guide wire tip reaches the desired vessel or duct branch. The proximal end of the guide wire is then rotated or torqued hopefully to a point where a curved tip of the guide wire is pointed toward the desired branch for advancement into the branch. The guide wire, with the catheter threaded thereover, are then advanced further until the tip of the guide wire reaches the target location. The catheter is then moved to the target location, following the guide wire. Once the catheter is in place, the guide wire may be withdrawn, depending upon the therapy to be performed.
If a vessel or duct branch extends from the main vessel or duct at an especially sharp angle, it becomes very difficult and in many cases impossible to simply rotate the curved tip of the guide wire so as to allow advancement of the tip into the branch. Of course, it would be desirable to provide apparatus for easily accommodating the movement of guide wires into angled branches of a vessel or duct and into other tortuous and twisting vasculature passageways.